Archive for February, 2010

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My Favorite Shoulder Mobility Drill Series

February 25th, 2010

I have recently been working on Girevoy sport lifts which require high volume kettlebell lifts.  Working high repetitions of any exercise requires specific focus on recovery.  Think of recovery as more than just taking time off, but including joint mobility exercises.  Moving the body in specific fashion helps move nutrients in and waste out which speeds healing.

One of the areas I feel the GS lifts is in my shoulders and one of my favorite series of shoulder mobility drills is the “Tea Cup” movements from the Baguazhang internal martial arts.  Steve Cotter does a brilliant job of explaining the “Tea Cup” exercises in the following videos.

Good luck and keep those rotator cuffs healthy!!

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My Soy Dilemma, Part 1

February 22nd, 2010

I am struggling with a choice that my wife and I have been making for the past couple months.  My seven month old daughter weaned herself last month and now is solely consuming formula.  The dilemma comes from my daughter having a dairy intolerance and so we have been giving her a soy based formula.  This tells you which side of the fence I am on, but I am still wrestling with the choice.  The pro soy side talks about the heart health, cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer benefits of soy.  The con side talks of soy depressing thyroid function, hormone impact (male fertility), and causing cancer.  So over the next few weeks I will share a series of posts that has led me to my decision to give my daughter a soy based formula.  However, I am open to discussion on what is best, so with your input and comments I am willing to re-evaluate my position. 

Here is what we know… 

Soybeans provide a complete protein that calorie for calorie has twice the protein as red meat and ten times the protein as whole milk.  Soybeans contain EFAs in the form of omega-3s, iron, calcium, phosphorous and a good source of B vitamins. 

Cultures have subsisted on soy for generations without ill effects.  The studies that show negative effects from soy are largely conducted on animals which does not always translate to humans (think Thalidomide, Phen-Phen, and Opren for examples).  However, those cultures did not eat the amounts of soy that we currently eat or in the processed forms we consume.  The change from soybeans, tofu, tempeh, and miso to soy “meats, cheeses, ice creams” and soybean oil in processed foods.  This is overlaid with genetically modified soy, thank you Monsanto (typed sarcastically).  We also can not ignore the pesky phytoestrogens and isoflavones in soy which have been called estrogen mimickers because they are structurally similar.

A little bit of doubt…   

Is there a problem then if we only eat organically grown soy?  I am not convinced, but reading Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick’s, an environmental scientist, work has me doubting my decision.  Here is a quote from Dr. Mercola commenting on a study by Dr. Fitzpatrick:

Folks, soy formula is one of the worst foods that you could feed your child. Not only does it have profoundly adverse hormonal effects as discussed above, but it also has over 1000% more aluminum than conventional milk based formulas. 

Let me know which side of the soy controversy you are…pro- or con- and why.

To be continued…

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Indian Club Swinging: What is Old is New Again!

February 21st, 2010

Active recovery is all the rage right now and one of the best tools to use are light weight clubs or Indian Clubs.  Just because it is popular now doesn’t mean that it is new so here is a classic club twirling video, a collection of quotes for light club work, and an updated take on the benefits of club swinging.   Take a step into the time warp…

  • “… besides the great recommendation of simplicity, the Indian Club practice possesses the essential practice of expanding the chest and exercising everymuscle in the body concurrently.” –Indian Club Exercises, by E.B. Warman (1921)
  • “The effect of these exercises, when performed with light clubs, is chiefly a neural one, hence they are primary factors in the development of grace, coordination and rhythm. As they tend to supple the muscles and articulation of the shoulders and to the upper and fore arms and wrist, they are indicated in cases where there is a tendency toward what is ordinarily known as “muscle bound.” – The United States Army Manual of Physical Training(1914)
  • “[Indian Clubs] cultivate patience and endurance, and operate most happily upon the longitudinalmuscle of the back and shoulders, thus tending to correct the habit of stooping.” — The New Gymnastics for Men, Women and Children by Dio Lewis (1867)
  • “The club exercise will do much to develop the proper outlines of the shoulders back and waist. The man who uses the clubs diligently will never need to have his coats “built out” on the shoulder or padded on the front and rear.” — Indian Clubs by C.R. Treat (1869)
  • “Indian club exercises have of late years become one of the most universal methods of developing the muscular anatomy of the human body. Schools, colleges and even theological seminaries have adopted their use in their respective institutions with the most beneficial results. For keeping the body in a healthy and vigorous condition there has as yet been nothing invented, which for its simplicityand gracefulness can be favorably compared with the Indian Club exercise.” — Indian Clubs and Other Exercises by M. Bornstein (1889)

What was old is now made new!

Check out Scott Sonnon explaining the areas of the body engaged by club swinging.



Clubbell Equipment


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5 Superfoods from Dr. Oz

February 16th, 2010

Superfoods are simple additions to your diet that can make a huge impact on your health.  Check out this list from Dr. Oz on 5 superfoods to add right now.

1. Sweet Potato

The women of Okinawa, Japan (who also happen to be the world’s longest living ladies) enjoy a purple sweet potato they call Imo every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rich in beta-carotene and boasting 150% more antioxidants than blueberries, this easy-to-make treat can be simply incorporated into an American diet. And, if you can’t find Imo specifically, our orange sweet potatoes pack a similarly healthful wallop.

2. Turmeric Tea

You usually see the yellow spice turmeric in Indian curries, giving them their characteristic color. But those long-lived ladies of Okinawa slurp this spice in tea daily (and they have one-fifth the rate of breast cancer than their American counterparts). Studies have shown that turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can help fight cancer.

3. Mangosteen

This sweet, tropical fruit originally from Indonesia has made its way onto supermarket shelves in the United States. Hidden inside a thick purple rind that you cut open, is a white, creamy flesh full of vitamins A and C as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. If you can’t find the fruit, the juice of the mangosteen, which is more widely available, is the next best thing. This is also available in tea form.

4. Mustard Greens

In Icaria, Greece, 1 in 3 people lives to the age of 90, making the Greek island one of the areas designated as a “blue zone,” where people enjoy superior longevity. There are also no cases Alzheimer’s disease reported there despite many people living to a ripe old age. One of the nourishing foods they enjoy are mustard greens. High in vitamin K (most Americans are deficient in this nutrient), the spicy greens are good for your blood and bone strength. Try them as the Icarians do: boil and then toss with a little virgin olive oil and lemon.

5. Barramundi Fish

If the Barramundi fish were a human, he would be a tree-hugging, salad-loving vegetarian. The Barramundi, hailing from the coast of Australia, eschews his fellow fish, dining on plankton instead. That means he doesn’t load up on mercury-packed smaller fish and has extremely low levels of the toxin, which is especially important for pregnant women. Free of mercury, but full of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, the Barramundi, which is becoming more popular in the US, is a shoe-in for one of the top 5 superfoods. Bonus: the white meat is light, flaky and delicious.

I found XanGo to be the best source of mangosteen.  XanGo juice is the original mangosteen supplement that use a proprietary, whole fruit formula (follow this link to a mangosteen juice source).

Cheers,

Richard

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Ready to Sweat? Time for Bikram Yoga!

February 9th, 2010

I find that every so often I need to really get a good sweat going and for this I turn to Bikram Yoga.  The intense heat combined with the structured asanas causes a whole host of physiological reactions in the body, but simply stated…it just helps me clear my head and my body. 

The History

Thirty years ago Bikram Choudhury developed his own series of yoga.  Bikram won the National India Yoga Contest at the age of 13. Changing course from here he started a career as a marathon runner and a champion weightlifter. A knee injury from weight lifting sidelined him at the age of twenty.  Bikram was told by European doctors he would not walk again.  He did not settle for the diagnosis and headed back to India and his yoga guru, Bishnu Ghosh. After six months of yoga therapy his knee had totally recovered and through his own healing regime Bikram Choudhury created Bikram Yoga.

What Bikram Yoga is…

Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 postures conducted over 90 minutes; it begins with one warm up breathing exercise, then progresses through 24 asanas or postures and finishes with one toxin eliminating breathing posture. The series of postures has been systematically formulated to work through the entire body. Each posture is completed twice and prepares the body for the next pose. The asanas and sequencing are designed to warm up and stretch every joint, muscle, ligament, tendon, vertebrae and organ of the body down to the cellular level. By moving fresh blood and oxygen to all areas of the body, all of the systems of the body are restored.

What Bikram Yoga does…

Bikram Yoga is also known as “Hot Yoga” because one of the requirements is for the room to be heated to be between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea is that the higher temperatures will help the muscles to loosen more quickly therefore making for a “deeper” practice with greater flexibility. Bikram yoga teaches you to control your thoughts and emotions in times of high pressure. The hot temperatures also cause students to sweat profusely during practice. All the sweating can help with weight loss and will increase metabolic rate. It also boosts the immune system, by indirectly purifying the blood and circulating the lymph system. Along with the recommended eight-to-ten glasses of water daily, yogis practicing this form should be mindful to consume enough water to replenish the body. Practitioners are advised to drink up to 16 ounces of water two hours before a Bikram yoga session and up to 40 additional ounces during and after the session.

Bikram started opening yoga schools, firstly in India and then around the world. In Japan, Bikram researched with doctors at the Tokyo University Hospital and was able to show the medical benefits of his yoga system. These findings were presented in 1972 at the International Medical Conference in Kyoto.

Within reason, anyone at any age can perform the poses, but this style of yoga does require the practitioner to be in better physical condition and have a high tolerance for heat. While the practice is somewhat controversial due to a number of injuries sustained by class patrons, it’s still a popular and beneficial exercise choice.

Find a class near you and get ready to sweat!!

Namaste!

Richard

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